Joburg’s water crisis demands solutions, not excuses

Of course, we must save water. At least half of South Africa is arid or semi-arid. The country’s average annual rainfall is 464mm, just over half the global average.

Water restrictions in Joburg are appropriate, given the mismatch between reliable supply and the city’s ever-growing population.

Most of us understand this.

That’s why it’s totally unacceptable to have hundreds of thousands of litres spurt high into the air or rush in torrents down our roads for days.

Joburg Water’s turnaround times for repairs do not take into account the need to conserve water.

With level one restrictions in place, we are told not to water gardens, wash cars, clean driveways, or fill up swimming pools and water features between 6am and 6pm. Okay, fine. But Joburg Water must play its part.

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For example, allowing 48 hours before sorting out a major pipe burst may seem reasonable in a well-managed, high-rainfall area, but not in the water-scarce biggest city in our dry, beloved country.

Nor is it okay for a leaking meter to run for three days when you are imposing restrictions on paying customers.

While those who pay for water are prohibited from washing their cars, there is an abundance of “non-revenue water” (NRW) for informal car washes.

In Gauteng, 45% of water supplied by Rand Water is lost as NRW within municipal systems. At a recent presentation to councillors, Joburg Water executives said about 20% is from physical losses, such as leaks and burst pipes.

I’d be surprised if leaks and bursts account for only 20%.

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Writing this yesterday morning, I still have a major burst gushing away since Saturday morning.

Ultimately, who is to blame?

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu recently criticised Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda for missing several water crisis meetings. Instead, Gwamanda found time to attend a politicised road-renaming ceremony.

Yet Joburg’s water crisis did not start with this gormless puppet mayor, who lacks gumption to fix anything.

The ANC’s toxic combination of incompetence, corruption and cadre deployment led us here.

Joburg Water is supplied by Rand Water, a state-owned entity (SOE) heading in the same direction as every SOE: downhill.

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Many of Rand Water’s recent woes are blamed on another SOE, Eskom, whose unreliability has played havoc with the water utility’s pumping and storage systems.

Eskom, Rand Water and Joburg Water are all hobbled by lack of maintenance.

As a councillor interacting with Joburg Water workers and managers, I don’t blame them for the mess created by political leadership.

Residents, rightly aggrieved by long dry spells and water restrictions, should not take out their frustrations on those in the front line.

When a depot manager has one truck for 68 suburbs, or an operations manager struggles all day to secure the services of a lesser-spotted specialist welder, they deserve our support.

An albatross is central to the Coleridge poem containing the lines: “Water, water everywhere, nor yet a drop to drink”.

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An albatross is a metaphor for a cursed burden.

The ANC is our albatross.

We must ditch this burdensome ANC, so that life-giving water flows where it should, and there is plenty to drink.